JP 2001-80840 A discloses a safety device for an elevator in which a wedge is pressed against a car guide rail for guiding an elevator car to thereby stop falling of the car. In the conventional safety device for an elevator, a governor is used to detect an abnormality in the speed of the car being raised and lowered. A governor rope that moves in synchronism with the raising and lowering of the car is wound around a sheave of the governor. The car is mounted with a safety link connected to the governor rope, and the wedge operatively coupled to the safety link. The governor detects a speed abnormality when the speed of the car exceeds a rated speed, and clamps a governor rope. The clamping of the governor rope by the governor actuates the safety link, thereby pressing the wedge against the car guide rail. The braking force generated by the pressing prevents the car from falling.
In the elevator apparatus as described above, however, such actions as the clamping of the governor rope and the actuation of the safety link intervene between the detection of the car speed abnormality by the governor and the generation of the braking force by the wedge. Accordingly, due to, for example, a delay in the clamping operation of the governor rope by the governor, expansion/contraction of the governor rope, and a delay in the actuation of the safety link, it takes a while until the braking force is generated after the detection of the car speed abnormality. Therefore, at the time the braking force is generated, the speed of the car has already become high, leading to an increase in the resulting impact on the car. Further, the braking distance the car travels until it comes to a stop also increases.